Voyages in the Waterway of Forgotten Dreams: Voyages in the Waterway of Forgotten Dreams

by Barry Gough

Overview

The tale begins in sixteenth-century Venice, when explorer Juan de Fuca encountered English merchant Michael Lok and relayed a fantastic story of a marine passageway that connected the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. This tale would be the catalyst for centuries of dreaming, and exacerbate English and Spanish rivalry.

The search for the fabled Northwest Passage inspired explorers to seek out fame, adventure, knowledge and riches. Likewise, the empires of Spain and Great Britain were impelled by the hopes of finding a naval trade route that would connect Europe to Asia, thus securing their dominance over the other as an economic power. The story of the Northwest Passage is one of significant figures and great empires, jostling for a distant corner of North America.

Gough provides meticulously researched insight, delving into diplomatic records, narratives of explorers and commercial aspirants, legal affidavits and court records to illuminate the journeys of Martin Frobisher, James Cook, Francis Drake, Manuel Quimper, José María Narváez, George Vancouver and Juan Francisco de la Bodega y Quadra, among others.

A sea venture tied up with piracy, political loyalty and betrayal, all bound up in a web of international intrigue, Juan de Fuca’s Strait is an indispensable contribution to the history of discovery on the Northwest Coast.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781550176537
Publisher:	Harbour Publishing Company, Limited
Publication date:	06/15/2015
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	288
File size:	2 MB

About the Author

Barry Gough is one of Canada’s premier historians and biographers. His insightful research and lucid writing spanning five decades have earned him high distinction. Among his awards are the Lieutenant Governor’s Medal for Historical Writing, the Canadian Historical Association’s Clio Prize, the Maritime Foundation’s Mountbatten Award, the Washington Historical Society’s Robert Gray Medal, and the Alcala Galiano Medal. Most recently, he was awarded the 2022 Lieutenant Governor’s Medal for Historical Writing for Possessing Meares Island. He is a Fellow of the Society for the History of Discoveries. He lives in Victoria, BC, with his wife, Marilyn.

Table of Contents

Maps: The Northwest Coast 10

Northern Vancouver Island and Adjacent Waters 11

Juan de Fuca Strait and Adjacent Waters 11

Foreword Martyn J. Clark 13

Preface 17

Prologue 19

Timeline 23

Introduction Navigating the Strait of Juan de Fuca 27

Part 1 The Tale of an Ancient Mariner

Chapter 1 A Conversation in Venice 35

Chapter 2 Pirates on Their Beat 56

Chapter 3 Pursuing the Legends, Exploding the Myths 66

Part 2 Mysteries of the Waterway Revealed

Chapter 4 British Merchant Mariners on Discovery 75

Chapter 5 Boston Traders and the Strait: The Links to China 105

Chapter 6 The Spanish Press South from Nootka 124

Chapter 7 Alcalá Galiano and Valdés: The Final Quest for the Elusive Passage 151

Chapter 8 Captain Vancouver and the Salish Sea 163

Chapter 9 Nootka Sound 1792 202

Epilogue To the Totem Shore and Beyond: A Historians Odyssey 221

Acknowledgements 237

Glossary 241

Sources 247

Notes 259

Index 279